Chapter 363: A Request for Support Arrives-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 363: A Request for Support Arrives-1
Tang Seo-yoon stared at the letter in her hand.
Her expression was deeply troubled.
After a long silence spent staring down the parchment, she finally spoke.
"Sigh."
Setting the letter down on her desk, Tang Seo-yoon let out a heavy breath.
A look of resignation flickered in her eyes.
Knock, knock.
Suddenly, the sound of someone rapping on the office door echoed through the room.
"Seo-yoon, I'm here~!"
At the same time, a bright, charming voice called out.
"Come in, Yorang."
Tang Seo-yoon gave a brief greeting as Yorang stepped inside.
"Seo-yoon! Guess what? I’m getting a monthly salary!"
Yorang entered the office and immediately began to brag.
"A monthly salary?"
Tang Seo-yoon asked, sounding surprised.
"Yeah! I settled things with Geum Jeok-hwa!"
"You haven't been receiving one until now?"
"I'm telling you! I was being worked like a slave for zero pay!"
"Good heavens..."
Tang Seo-yoon let out a hollow laugh.
Yorang had been so devoted to her work that she barely slept once every three days. To think she hadn't even been receiving a salary was beyond imagination.
"...Third Madam."
Tang Seo-yoon shot a sharp glare at Geum Jeok-hwa, who had followed in behind Yorang.
"Well... that... the first six months are a probationary period... and it's standard practice to withhold pay during that time..."
Meeting that gaze, Geum Jeok-hwa stammered out an excuse.
"Third Madam."
Tang Seo-yoon cut her off by repeating her name.
"......Yes."
"Pay her for all the work she has done until now. The Tang Clan does not engage in unpaid labor."
"......Understood."
Geum Jeok-hwa lowered her head and replied.
"Hahahaha! Seo-yoon, you're the best!"
Hearing Tang Seo-yoon's words, Yorang beamed and clung to her arm. She was over the moon now that someone had taken her side.
"But why did you call for me?"
Still clinging to Seo-yoon, Yorang looked up and asked.
"There is something urgent we need to discuss."
"What is it?"
"Let's wait until Madam Tang arrives before we talk."
"Madam Tang is coming too?"
Yorang asked with a bright smile.
Lately, Yorang hadn't been able to see Madam Tang much. Yorang had been buried in accounting work, and Madam Tang had been busy keeping an eye on Lee Ye-seol.
The thought of seeing her after so long naturally lifted Yorang's spirits. She missed the woman's warm embrace.
"Heehee, I hope she gets here fast."
Yorang spoke with a lively laugh.
Tang Seo-yoon watched her with a faint smile. She thought it was remarkable how Yorang had become smart enough to negotiate a salary while still retaining her childlike innocence.
Knock, knock.
The door was tapped once again.
"Come in."
Creeeeeak.
"Pardon me."
The door opened, and a middle-aged woman of great elegance and beauty appeared.
"Welcome, Madam Tang."
"Wow~ Madam Tang!"
"It has been a while, Madam Tang."
As she entered, the women in the office greeted her one by one.
"Hoho, it is good to see you all again."
Madam Tang replied with a bright smile. She then slowly took a seat at the table in the front of the office.
"What happened with Lee Ye-seol?"
"I asked Ok-ryeong to handle it," Madam Tang replied with a soft smile.
"If it's Ok-ryeong, we can trust her."
Tang Seo-yoon looked relieved at the answer. Surely, someone like Ok-ryeong would have no trouble keeping Lee Ye-seol in check.
"Seo-yoon, can you tell us why we're gathered now?"
Yorang asked, her face full of curiosity.
"Yes, now that everyone is here."
Tang Seo-yoon nodded slightly at Yorang's question.
"I asked you all to gather because there is a matter I need to discuss with you."
Tang Seo-yoon's expression turned grave. She slowly picked up the letter from her desk.
"A request for support has arrived from my sister."
"Your sister...?"
"Yes. Tang Jin-seol, the Third Madam of the current Cheonmu Alliance Leader."
Tang Seo-yoon continued, her expression stiff.
"Oh dear."
"To think..."
Madam Tang and Geum Jeok-hwa both looked troubled. They could sense that Tang Jin-seol's request was no ordinary matter.
Though she was an out-married member, Tang Jin-seol was a vital figure for the Tang Clan. As her influence within the Cheonmu Alliance grew, so did the influence of the Tang Clan.
For that reason, the Tang Clan provided her with a massive sum of money every New Year under the guise of "upkeep expenses," all to help her solidify her position.
But for her to suddenly request support now—their expressions couldn't help but darken. It was obvious she was asking for a sum far exceeding her usual allowance.
"What kind of support is she requesting specifically?"
Geum Jeok-hwa asked, her face full of doubt.
"My sister has requested two things. The first is money."
Tang Seo-yoon held up her index and middle fingers as she spoke.
"How much did she ask for?"
".......One million nyang."
Tang Seo-yoon hesitated before finally speaking the number.
"What!?"
Geum Jeok-hwa's voice spiked in disbelief. The amount Tang Seo-yoon mentioned was an unrealistic, nonsensical sum.
"I... I didn't mishear you, did I?"
Geum Jeok-hwa asked again, trying to calm her racing heart.
".......Unfortunately, you did not."
Tang Seo-yoon replied with a look of regret.
"That's absurd!"
Geum Jeok-hwa protested immediately. It was madness. One million nyang? How were they supposed to come up with such an astronomical amount?
"Surely you aren't planning to accept this?"
Geum Jeok-hwa asked, her eyes flashing.
"I want to refuse more than anyone, but..."
Tang Seo-yoon trailed off. She couldn't find a valid justification to decline.
The Tang Clan had gained significant benefits by using Tang Jin-seol's name. Therefore, it was only right to fulfill her requests to some extent. Even if they were blood relatives, she was technically an outsider now, so they couldn't simply rely on family sentiment.
"You must refuse! Where on earth are we supposed to get a million nyang right now!"
"It seems... she heard the rumors."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke with a heavy heart.
"What rumors?"
"The rumor that we extracted one million nyang from the Geumcheol Sect."
"That was money Hero Gal risked his life to get! Why is she asking for that!"
"Since a large sum of money came in, she likely sees it as surplus funds."
Tang Seo-yoon explained, looking troubled.
"But we already spent that million nyang, didn't we?"
"It seems my sister is unaware of that."
"Then you have to refuse."
"We are not in a position to refuse."
Tang Seo-yoon continued in a calm tone.
"Currently, we are under the protection of the Cheonmu Alliance. And my sister undoubtedly has a hand in that protection. If we refuse her outright and that protection is withdrawn, we will be in a very difficult spot."
"............"
Geum Jeok-hwa fell silent. She couldn't think of a rebuttal.
As Seo-yoon said, the Tang Clan was currently receiving aid from the Cheonmu Alliance. They were being protected by the Blue Dragon Hall, known as the strongest martial force within the Alliance. With most of their own strength currently away with the search party, the Alliance's protection was more important than ever.
In this situation, if they refused the request and made an enemy of her, things would become very complicated. The protection could indeed be withdrawn.
"......But still, would she really withdraw protection after it's already been declared?"
"You say that because you don't know my sister well, Third Madam. She is the epitome of a Tang Clan member—a woman who repays a grudge tenfold. If we refuse this request, she will find a way to penalize us. Even if we are her own blood."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke with a grim expression.
"............"
Geum Jeok-hwa bit her lip. She realized they were in a situation where they had no choice but to provide the support.
"Yorang."
Tang Seo-yoon turned to Yorang. She intended to ask how much surplus cash they had. As the one in charge of accounting at the Jaegyeong Pavilion, Yorang would know instantly.
"Yeah!"
Yorang answered energetically.
"Could you tell me how much surplus capital the clan currently has?"
"By surplus, do you mean money we can spend freely without hurting our other businesses?"
"Yes, exactly."
"Three hundred thousand nyang!"
Yorang answered confidently.
"Is that really all?"
Tang Seo-yoon's face darkened as she asked again. Three hundred thousand nyang was far too little.
"Yep! We had a lot of expenses this month!"
"What kind of expenses could leave us with only that much? I thought we were making a significant profit."
"First, I repaired the damaged buildings within the estate. And the ones that were completely burned down, I had them demolished and rebuilt from scratch. For the lumber, I used Iron Wood, a sturdy tree that grows near the North Sea. And for the stone, I had it brought in directly from a quarry in Yunnan. They said it's incredibly strong. Also, I bought a ton of elixirs to improve the warriors' capabilities... and... and..."
At the question, Yorang began to rattle off the list of expenses without missing a single detail. With her perfect memory, reciting this month's expenditures was effortless.
".......After spending all that, we have about three hundred thousand nyang left."
Having finished her explanation, Yorang looked at Tang Seo-yoon with sparkling eyes, as if waiting for praise.
"..............."
Tang Seo-yoon was speechless after hearing the massive list of expenses. She hadn't expected such a detailed breakdown.
And as she listened, she had to accept it. Everything Yorang mentioned were things she herself had ordered.
"...Thank you, Yorang."
After a moment of daze, Tang Seo-yoon expressed her gratitude. She felt thankful to Yorang for handling so much work for what was essentially no pay.
"Hehehe, it was nothing."
Yorang blushed at the thanks. Praise always made her feel good.
"But Yorang, is there any way to secure more funds?"
"How much?"
"Assuming we squeeze out as much as we possibly can."
"That'll be tough. Matters that have already been approved can't be canceled."
Yorang spoke with a firm expression.
"Unless we sell off some of our businesses."
"Sell... businesses?"
"Yeah. To come up with a huge sum like a million nyang, you'd have to be prepared to lose at least two or three small-scale businesses."
"............"
Tang Seo-yoon looked conflicted. She wondered if it was right to liquidate businesses just to send support to Tang Jin-seol.
"Oh, of course, there's also the option of borrowing from a money exchange."
Seeing her silence, Yorang suggested another method.
"Is there a place that would lend a million nyang all at once?"
"There are places. But the interest will be huge. If a million nyang leaves an exchange at once, they can't use that money to make more, so they'll try to bleed you dry."
Yorang spoke with a grave expression. She became more serious than anyone when it came to money.
"What do you think, Yorang? Is it better to sell businesses? Or borrow from an exchange and pay the interest?"
"Can't we just not give it to her?"
Yorang suggested a completely different alternative. She figured everything would be solved if they just didn't pay.
"We can't do that. In our current situation, we can't afford to cross my sister. We need the Cheonmu Alliance's protection."
Tang Seo-yoon replied calmly.
"Even without that, you have me and Ok-ryeong, don't you?"
Yorang asked, as if she didn't see the problem. She didn't understand. No matter how strong the Blue Dragon Hall was, they were nothing compared to her and Ok-ryeong. Ok-ryeong was a master who had reached the supreme Transcendent Realm, and Yorang herself was a spiritual being with power rivaling that realm.
Why lean on such weaklings?
"Neither of you can show yourselves in public," Tang Seo-yoon explained. "Furthermore, the Alliance's protection provides immense benefits not just for defense, but for our business as well. Without their backing, we would be facing enormous interference from others."
What she said was true. The Cheonmu Alliance's protection brought massive profits in business. The Alliance was the greatest power in the Murim. To touch the Tang Clan, which was under their protection, was the same as touching the Alliance itself.
Who would dare treat them lightly? Thanks to this, the Tang Clan's shipping and escort businesses were currently booming.
"......Hmm."
Yorang let out a low hum of contemplation. She couldn't help but think that human affairs were far more exhausting than she had imagined.